USF junior Ramsay drafted by Astros in 7th round

USF junior outfielder James Ramsay, who led the Bulls with a .337 batting average this season, was selected by the Houston Astros in the seventh round of the MLB draft and said he's likely to sign with the team this weekend.

"This has always been a huge dream of mine. Hopefully I'll get to play in the major leagues," said Ramsay

Ramsay, a Brandon graduate who earned first-team All-Big East honors, led USF in several offensive categories, including hits (82), slugging percentage (.449) and stolen bases (12), finishing second on the team with 43 RBIs. He was drafted out of high school in the 38th round by the Yankees but chose to play at USF, starting 163 games in three years.

Ramsay said he got a congratulatory call from USF coach Lelo Prado, who went into the draft anticipating his top juniors, Ramsay and pitcher Nick Gonzalez, would be drafted and signing with pro teams.

The first two days of the draft have been kind to the Bulls, with no signees picked in the first 10 rounds. Several are likely to be taken in Saturday's final 30 rounds, with decisions to make as to whether they'll enroll or sign a pro deal.

TRANSFER: Hayden Kelley, a standout outfielder at Gaither High who played this spring at Miami-Dade College, said Friday that he is transferring to USF and will play for the Bulls next season as a sophomore. Kelley won the Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award in 2012 after graduating from Gaither with a 3.98 grade-point average. Kelley hit .325 as a senior, and hit .287 as a freshman at Miami-Dade with 17 RBIs.

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